As we walked to the hospital this morning, we saw a vehicle marked ambulance parked outside. It was a small truck with a top that enclosed the rear truck bed. It was just parked outside. I haven’t seen this before. There was no activity around it. Maybe it was waiting for a call.
Another slow start today. We see so many patients on Sunday that sometimes when they show up for surgery, the surgeons decide to change what they planned to do a little bit. But it requires speaking with the patient and family. Then they redo the consent and reprint the forms. So despite our being ready at 7:30, one case finally got started close to 9.
Plastic surgeons also need to document their work. So once the patient is asleep, they start taking photographs. Of course no case can end without another round of photographs to show what they have done.
The photographs I have today show the preoperative clinic photo, the photo just prior to surgery and then 2 post operative photos. It’s very dramatic.
The day was much better overall. One or 2 staff fell sick and had to stop working It’s not uncommon for us to care for those who end up with nausea and vomiting probably associated with food or water that wasn’t quite right. A few bags of IV fluids, antibiotics and anti-nausea drugs usually helps get them back.
Cases went a bit faster and the OR finally ended around 9 pm. I was out early since I stayed late last night. I talked a few others into going to Frida’s , a very good Mexican restaurant with great margaritas. Mescal margaritas are the best!
We walked back to the hotel. Everything here is close by. Time to get to bed and get ready for another day.
The Adventures of Anne 
Your days are long and require constant concentration in a setting far less comfortable than the hospitals you were accustomed to … and yet every one of those long days changes the ENTIRE REST OF THE LIFE of each patient. Who else’s work has that kind of effect?
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